Have you ever been in a redundancy situation? Or worse still (in my opinion), been in a redundancy situation where you are expected to work a further 11 weeks from the date you are told your job no longer exists? It’s not a nice place to be, I can tell you that much.

Is it really worth it?

However, as I am cycling to Cambridge station, (part 1/3 of my daily commute to work) and the rain is pelting down (yes, it really is July!), even my favourite Joules waterproof can’t keep this rain at bay. So I think to myself, is this even worth it? Is a job worth going through a 4 hour daily commute of cycling, a train journey and a 1.5 mile walk in London, come rain, shine or snow?

When faced with redundancy you experience a whole range of emotion. Upset, hurt, anger, sadness but quite rarely joy. This morning as I am sat soaking wet on the train, I think I might have had a slight u-turn in emotion. Is redundancy, for me, a blessing in disguise? Is it really possible that I no longer have to set my alarm for 5:33am? All those mornings of waking up and hearing the rain battering the window and knowing that I have to cycle through it just to get to the station. Is this really soon to be a thing of the past? Is it even possible that I might, just one morning, get up after my husband?

"Commuting in London is basically warfare. It's a constant campaign of claiming territory; inching forward; never relaxing for a moment. Because if you do, someone will step past you. Or step on you."

— Sophie Kinsella

Goodbye London!

And what about the amount I have so far spent on my commute? I’ve worked in London for nearly 5 years and it has cost me a few pennies short of £20,000.  Even that figure astounds me, and I’m used to seeing it disappear from my monthly payslip.

I’m not sure if redundancy is always a good thing, but it has certainly given me the kick up the bum I need. Trust me, the thought of never doing this commute again puts a great big smile on my face!